Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Silence of Prohibition

Last weekend I set up a table at a big flea mkt in NH to sell Cannabis Rising stuff and give away copies of 1000 Watts, a rising voice for cannabis patients and care growers in the Northeast--at least, that's what I said whenever anyone connected, which was not often. It reminded me of a time long ago when I was trying to sell bagels to the same sort of folks. The best part was watching for that moment of recognition, when their eyes divert and their feet carry them swiftly and smoothly away as if on a jet stream with a message; this is not for you.

One in 200 might wink or in some other fashion let me know they know but they can't go there; not with the wife, the kids, the job...whatever. After two days of that I knew I needed to say something to these knuckleheads--these decent people who are too caught up in life and show and angry politics to think about what cannabis really is and what that could mean for them and people they care most about. This song is for them.

The Silence of Prohibition (Sound of Silence/Simon & Garfunkel)

[Em] Hello America, my old [D] friend
I've come to talk with you a[Em]gain
Because a vision of [C] freeing the [G] weed
Left it's [Em] seeds while I [C] was va[G]ping
And that [C] vision that's been [C5] planted in my [G] brain?
Cannabis is [Em] rising, and
Bringing down the [D] walls of Prohi[Em]bition.

[Em] In restless dreams I walk a[D]lone
Among narrow rows of medicinal [Em] home grown
'Neath the halo of [C] thousand watt [G] lamps
I'm pullin' the [Em] girls in from the [C] cold and [G] damp
When my [C] eyes were stabbed by the [C5] flash of a police [G] light
But it's al[Em]right (in this dream)
I'm [D] legal [Em]

[Em] And at the open air market I [D] saw
Ten thousand people maybe [Em] more
Liberals talking with[C]out speak[G]ing
Conservatives hearing with[C]out liste[G]ning, and
[C] Too many people [C5] suffering from things that cannabis [G] cures
But no one [Em] dares
Disturb the [D] silence of Prohi[Em]bition.

[Em] Fools said i, you do not [D] know
Cannabis can even work where cancer [Em] grows
Hear my words that I might [C] teach [G] you
Take a tour and see if they can [C] reach [G] you
But my [C] words like [C5] silent raindrops [G] fell
And [Em] echoed
Inside the [D] walls of Prohi[Em]bition.

[Em] And the people bowed and [D] prayed
To celebrities and heroes that they [Em] made
And they'd lash out with [C] crazing warn[G]ings
Like reform and truth are[C] bad for [G] kids (and I'd say)
The [C] words of the prophets are now [C5] written on Facebook [G] walls
And dispensary [Em] halls (but still only whispered)
Inside the [D] walls of Prohi[Em]bition.